Hagerty at state: The Huskies, who began play in the 2005-06 season, are making their first appearance.

Regional tournament results: Vero Beach defeated Timber Creek 67-62 in overtime of the quarterfinals, Orlando-Colonial 55-48 in the semifinals and Sarasota-Riverview 60-57 in the final; Hagerty defeated Flagler Palm Coast 70-56 in the quarterfinals, Sandalwood 71-67 in overtime of the semifinals and West Orange 74-69 in the final

Also notable: Hagerty was plagued by illness and injury at the end of the regular season and split its last six games. The Indians have won seven straight and have lost just one game since the new year.

THREE KEYS FOR VERO BEACH

1. Vero Beach is known for defense, but the Indians will have to stay tight on their marks, inside and out on the perimeter, against a deep Hagerty team capable of scoring big points from anywhere on the floor. If they can disrupt the Huskies' offense and slow down the tempo, they will have a chance to win.

2. Hagerty has the size advantage, so Vero Beach players must get a body on their opponent, box out and be strong on the boards. The Indians cannot allow multiple shot attempts.

3. Offensively, Vero Beach needs to take care of the ball and work to get good shots for leading scorers Charlie Miller and Jamario Lambert.

THREE KEYS FOR HAGERTY

1. Spread the ball around. The Huskies have all five starters scoring in double digits, and if they use that to their advantage, it makes them tougher to defend.

2. The Huskies' overwhelming offense stems from efficiency in transition and from the perimeter. Although the Indians have good team speed, they are good at slowing down the pace of the game and stalling the opponents offense. Hagerty needs to try to push the tempo with quick passes and little dribbling.

3. Contain Vero Beach point guard Charlie Miller. Miller is a 1,000-point scorer who has led the Indians the past two years. The Indians play well as a team overall but the Huskies cannot let Miller take over because he can dominate.

VERO BEACH STARTERS

Charlie Miller (Sr., G, 5-11): 24 games, 14.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.3 apg

Jamario Lambert (Jr., G, 6-2): 27 games, 12.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.7 apg

Paul St. Mary (Sr., F, 6-3): 27 games, 6.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.4 apg

Cedric Mayes (Sr., C, 6-4): 27 games, 7.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg

Jeremy Bell (Sr., G, 5-11): 26 games, 6.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.9 apg

HAGERTY STARTERS

Ira Smith (Sr., G, 6-1): 30 games, 14.7 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.9 rpg

Aaron Bodager (Sr., G, 6-4): 28 games, 12.6 ppg, 2.3 apg, 3.8 rpg

Logan Lovey (Jr., F, 6-6): 25 games, 11.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg

Cartree Pettis (Sr., G, 6-2): 31 games, 10.1 ppg 5.0 apg 3.7 rpg

Luke Doyle (Jr., F, 6-4): 27 games, 10.0 ppg, 3.0 apg, 4.5 rpg

The winner plays: Boca Raton-Spanish River (21-3) or Hialeah Gardens (25-5) in the Class 8A final at 8:35 p.m. Saturday.